Take-up for sewing-machines.



No. 690,004. Patented Dec. 3|, l90l. W. M. AMME-BMAN.

TAKE-UP FOB SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed Feb. 20, 1900.)

2 Shams-Shunt I.-

(No Model.)

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046M004. Patented Dec. 3!, 190:. w. m. AMMERMAN.

TAKE-UP FOR SEWING MACHINES.

Application filed Feb. 20, 1900.) (No Mudel.) 2 Sheets-Shut 2.

THE NORR|$ vzrzus 0o. PHOYO-LIINO.WASHINGTON. n, c,

Unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

INILLIAM M. AMMERMAN, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO EDWIN J. TOOF, OF NEWV HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

TAKE-UP FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Ifatent No. 690,004, dated December 31, 1901. Application filed February 20, 1900. Serial No. 5.924. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. AMMER- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city and county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Take-Ups for Sewing-\lachinespf which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

This invention relates to the take-up device for sewing-machines, and is an improvement on that described in Letters Patent No. 037,744, dated November 21, 1899, to which reference may be had.

The take-up forming the subject-matter of this present application, as also that of the patent referred to, although applicable to any ordinary sewing-machine is more particularly adapted to that class of machines in which a shuttle and looper are used interchangeably for the purpose of adapting the machine for making either a lock or chain stitch. In this class of machines, on account of the difference in the amount of slack thread required by the shuttle and looper, it becomes desirable to provide a take-up that will properly handle and control the thread when either the shuttle or looper is used and without change of adjustment. In thus controlling the thread the take-up is carried by the needle-bar and caused to operate in such time relative thereto that in drawing up the stitch it will move upward with the needlebar in the same time therewith, but in moving downward will move at a less speed or about one-half as fast as the needle-bar, so as to control and prevent undue slack thread during the descent of the needle.

In my prior patent referred to the take-up comprises a frame portion, which loosely embraces the needle-bar, so as to be capable of sliding thereon, a crank-pin carried by the upper driving-shaft entering a cam-slot in said take-up frame, and a cam-groove of the needle-bar and operatingto cause the take-up to move in time relative to the needle-bar, as above stated. WVhen the machine is operated at a very high rate of speed, however, the sliding movement of the take-up frame on the needle-bar produces more or less friction, which has been found to be objectionable, and it has been the object of my pres ent invention to provide a take-up device in which such objectionable feature will be avoided and which will also be of fewer parts and more simple construction than that of said prior patent, the action of the same relative to the needle, however, being substantially the same. This object I secure by means of the novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter set forth in detail, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, in which I have shown only so much of a sewing-machine as is necessary to illustrate my invention, Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent a front end elevation of a sewing-machine arm containing my invention, showing in full and dotted lines the relative positions of the takeup and needle-bar at different times during the formation of a stitch, the faceplate being partly broken away to more clearly show the parts. Fig. at represents a vertical section through the front end of the sewing-machine arm, showing the parts therein in side elevation. Fig. 5 represents a rear view of the needlebar removed from the sewing-machine, showing the cross-head thereon, which contains the cam-groove, and the take-up device connected with said cross-head. Fig. 6 represents a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 5 with the needle-bar in section.

In said drawings the arm or frame 1, the vertically-reciprocating needle-bar 2, supported to slide in hearings in said arm and being provided with a grooved cross-head 3, secured thereon, and the rotating shaft 4c, carrying a crank-disk 5, which is provided with a pin 6, extending and operating Within the cam-groove 7 in said cross-head to actuate the needle-bar, are all of usual construction as found in the ordinary sewing-machine.

In accordance with mypresent inventionI have provided a take-up device consisting of a frame or plate 8, which is pivotallyconnected at one end with the crosshead 3 upon the rear or grooved side thereof by means of a pivot-pin 9, whereby it may be capable of swinging movement in a vertical plane relative to the needle-bar. This plate 8 is provided with an arm 10, extending therefrom across the upper surface of the cross-head 3 of the movement of the latter in its passage back and forth in the cam-groove in the crosshead 3. In order to secure the desired movement of the take-up relative to the needlebar, as will hereinafter be described, that portion of the lower edge of the plate 8 located at one side of the needle-bar and indicated at 14 is cut away to a point above the upper edge of the cam-groove 7, so as not to be engaged or acted upon by the crank-pin during the movement of the latter in such end of the groove, while that portion of the edge at the opposite side of the needle-bar and indicated at 15 extends below the adjacent upper edge of the cam-groove 7and in position to be engaged by the crank-pin when the latter moves in such end of the camgroove. A coiled spring 16, connecting at one end with a projection 17 on the take-up arm 10 and atits opposite end with a pin 18 on the needle-bar, acts to yiel'dingly hold the frame or plate 8 in its normal stationary position relative to the needle-bar, with the take-up arm 10 resting upon the upper surface of the cross-head and also to hold the same in operative contact with said crank-pin when being raised and lowered therewith relative to the cross-head.

The action of the take-up as described relative to the needle-bar in brief is as follows: When the needle and take-up are at their highest point, as shown in Fig. 1, the crankpin 6 is in a position at the center or lowest point of the camgroove 7, as indicated by dotted lines. From such position of the parts the crank-pin 6 travels in its circular path in a direction toward the left to move the needle-bar downward in the usual manner and at the same time moves into engagement with the projecting or cam edge 15 of the take-up plate 8 and raises the latter, with its threadengaging arm 10, relative to the needle-bar, as shown in Fig. 2. Such upward movement of the take-up device relative to the needlebar of course renders its downward movement much slower than the latter, and thereby causes it to control and prevent undue slack thread during the descent of the needle and until the latter enters the goods, as shown in said Fig. 2. In this manner the amount of slack thread to be controlled by the usual spring-controller 19 is greatly reduced, whereby, less strain being upon the same, it is better enabled to control the thread when the machine is run at a high rate of speed, and it also enables such spring-controller to be entirely dispensed with when a looper is employed in lieu of the shuttle, as fully set forth in my said prior patent, No. 637,744. When the needle reaches a position to enter the goods, the crank-pin has moved to a position at one end of the cam -groove in the cross-head 3, as shown in Fig. 2. From such position the crank-pin begins to move toward the opposite end of the said cam-groove, and consequently allows the take-up to be lowered relative to the needlebar under the action of the spring 16, so as to give down the slack thread required by the shuttle in passing through the thread-loop. When the crank-pin now reaches a position at about the center of the cam-groove, with the needle-bar moved to its lowest limit of movement, as shown in Fig. 3, the take-up has been returned to its normal position relative to the needle-bar, with its arm 10 resting upon the upper surface of the cross-head 3. Now as the crank-pin moves toward the opposite end of the cam-groove in raising the needle-bar it has no further direct action upon the take-up, the latter now being raised with the needle-bar as though a part of the same in drawing up and tightening the stitch.

By reason of the take-up device being pivotally connected with the cross-head 3,whereby it will swing upon a pivot-support in its movement relative to the needle-bar, the friction between such parts is reduced to a minimum. A further feature of the pivotal connection of the take-up device with the needle-bar is that when acted upon by the crankpin 6 during the downward movement of the needle-bar, as described, its thread-engaging arm moves in a lateral direction in the arc of a circle, as shown in Fig. 2, and so controls the slack thread with less differential movement in a vertical direction relative to the needle-bar than if guided to move parallel therewith.

1 Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the reciprocating needle-bar, of a take up device carried by said needle-bar independent of other support and having a piv otal connection therewith, and means for controlling the movement of said take-up device and causing it to move at a less speed than the needle-bar during the first part of its descent and at a greater speed during the lat ter part, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the reciprocating needle-bar, of a takeup device carried by'said needle-bar independent of other support and having a pivotal connection therewith, and means for controlling the movement of said take-up device and causing it to move upward in the same time with the needle-bar and at a Variable speed relative thereto during its descent, for the purpose set forth.

3. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the reciprocating needle-bar, of a take 690,00&

up device carried by said needle-bar independent of other support and being'arranged and supported to have a combined lateral and vertical movement relative thereto, and means for controlling the movement of said take-up device and causing it to move upward in the same time with the needle-bar and at a variable speed relative thereto during its descent, for the purpose set forth.

at. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the reciprocating needle-bar, of a takeup device carried by said needle-bar independent of other support and having a pivotal connection therewith, and means for acting upon said take-up device duringthe downward movement of the needle-bar and cansing it to move at a less speed than the latter during a portion of its movement, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the reciprocating needle-bar, of a takeup device carried by said needle-bar independent of other support and having a pivotal connection therewith, and means for acting upon said take-up device during the downward movement of the needle-bar and causing it to move at a less speed than the latter during a portion of its movement, said means including a rotary shaft carrying a crank-pin for engaging with said take-up device, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the reciprocating needle-bar, of a takeup device having a pivotal connection with said needle-bar, means for supporting said take-up device whereby it will be moved upward with the needle-bar in the same time therewith, and means for acting upon the take-up device during the downward movement of the needle-bar and causing it to move at a less speed than the latter during a portion of its movement, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the reciprocating needle-bar, of a takeup device having a pivotal connection with said needle-bar, means for supporting said take-up device whereby it will be moved upward with the needle-bar in the same time therewith, means for yieldingly holding the take-up in a normal stationary position relative to the needle-bar, and means for acting upon the take-up device during the downward movement of the needle-bar and causing it to move at a less speed than the latter during a portion of its movement, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a sewing-machine, the combination, with the reciprocating needle-bar provided with a cross-head having a cam-groove therein, of a take-up device pivotally connected with said cross-head and having a thread-engaging arm resting upon the latter whereby it will be supported in a normal stationary po sition relative to the needle-bar so as to be moved upward with the latter in the same time therewith, means for yieldingly holding the take-up device in such normal position relative to the needle-bar, and a rotary shaft carrying a crank-pin for engaging with said grooved cross-head to actuate the needle-bar and also engaging with the take-up device during the downward movement of the needle bar and causing it to move at a less speed than the latter during a portion of its move ment, for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM M. AMMERMAN.

Witnesses:

CHAS. F. DANE, M. L. FORREST. 

